Worcester edge ahead of Bristol in Championship final
Last Updated: 20/05/15 10:38pm
Worcester claimed a thrilling 29-28 victory over Bristol in the first leg of the Greene King IPA Championship final at Ashton Gate.
Bristol looked set to take a six-point advantage to Sixways for the second leg next Wednesday when they led 28-22 in the closing stages after fighting back from 22-17 down at the interval following a rollercoaster first half.
However, replacement Niall Annett touched down for the visitors in the last play of the game, with Ryan Lamb, who had earlier missed five kicks, nailing the conversion to put the Warriors in command.
Bristol will also be without experienced centre Gavin Henson for the second leg after the Welshman was carried off with a fractured shin with 10 minutes remaining, while flanker Ryan Jones will be sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Henson gave Bristol an early lead with a third-minute penalty but he missed a chance to double the hosts’ advantage and Worcester pounced in the 11th minute with a try from Sam Betty at the back of a driving lineout.
Lamb failed to convert Betty’s score and Bristol were back in front three minutes later when Mitch Eadie weaved his way over following a superb break by Matthew Morgan from inside his own half, with Henson converting for a 10-5 cushion.
Tom Biggs and Val Rapava Ruskin were both stopped just short of the line as Worcester hit back strongly with Bristol tighthead prop Gaston Cortes sent to the sin-bin for an offence as he attempted to repel the onslaught.
The Warriors immediately took advantage of their additional man as they were awarded a penalty try following a powerful drive from the resulting scrum and Lamb added the extras this time to make it 12-10.
A fine last-gasp tackle by Charlie Amesbury foiled a rampaging Biggs on the right touch-line shortly before the home side were reduced to 13 men when Cortes’ replacement Anthony Perenise also saw yellow.
Worcester looked to have taken a firm grip on the game in the 28th minute when Cooper Vuna displayed lightning pace down the left to score their third try of the night.
Lamb once again failed to add the conversion, however, and he then missed a penalty shortly before Bristol levelled it up at 17-17 in the 35th minute when Eadie’s barnstorming run set up a try for David Lemi in the right-hand corner, with Henson landing his conversion attempt.
There was still time for the pendulum to swing back in favour of the visitors before the break, though, as Biggs charged through a big gap in the home defence to touch down.
Lamb still managed to skew a relatively easy kick wide to leave Worcester only 22-17 ahead at half-time and the fly-half took his tally of missed points to 12 when he was off-target with a long-range penalty shortly after the restart.
Henson made no mistake at the other end to narrow the deficit to two points and Worcester then had to survive a lengthy spell of Bristol pressure with Chris Brooker going closest to scoring when he was tackled into touch by Biggs, who was thwarted by a cruel bounce at the other side of the pitch as he kicked forward in a Warriors breakaway.
Henson spurned a chance to put the hosts back in front and his night took a major turn for the worse two minutes later when he crumpled to the ground as his leg twisted under him and he departed the pitch on a stretcher.
Bristol battled on, though, and they snatched the lead in the 72nd minute when Vuna failed to collect replacement Nick Robinson’s high kick under pressure from Jack Wallace and Lemi pounced on the loose ball to score in the right corner.
Robinson failed to convert from the touchline but he extended the home side’s lead with three minutes remaining only for substitute hooker Annett to have the final word as he powered over after a late spell of Worcester pressure.
Watch the second leg of the final live on Sky Sports 1 at 7.30pm on Wednesday May 27.
